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Climate Change Action Planning Task Force Kick-Off Meeting Meeting Minutes

Participants: Katelyn McFadyen, Town of Caledon Alexandra Service, Town of Caledon Cristina Guido, Town of Caledon Yuill Herbert, Sustainability Solutions Group Camilla Melrose, Sustainability Solutions Group Chandra Sharma, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority Ian McVey, Ontario Climate Consortium Christine Zimmer, Credit Valley Conservation Cassie Schembri, Town of Caledon

Jim Jones, Member-at-Large Sarah Dolamore, Agriculture Member Neil Morris, Resident Member Nicole Yardy, Youth Member Eric Chan, Town of Caledon Justin Cook, Town of Caledon Vidit Aneja, Town of Caledon

Regrets: Margherita Bialy, Town of Caledon Phil Winters, Small Business Member Meeting Date: Monday June 17, 2019

ACTION ITEMS AND NEXT STEPS

Action Responsibility Timeline

Share projections of heating and cooling degree days

CVC End of June (Completed)

Growth projections out to 2050 Town/Peel Region July Collect data for SSG to begin building out the model

Town/SSG June/July

Create stakeholder list and get feedback from Task Force

Town/TF Early August

Set next TF meeting Town TBD

MEETING NOTES

Agenda Item Discussion

1. Project Overview and Workplan: existing accomplishments and renewed vision

Overview (Town of Caledon) • Existing Community Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP) developed in

2010. Current target is 17% below 2006 levels by 2021. • Most recent community greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory (2013), showed

a 1% reduction in community GHG emissions so far – however, the Town has also experienced a 4% growth in population.

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• CCAP update will coincide with Official Plan and Asset Management Plan updates, providing unique opportunity to embed climate change into essential Town planning processes.

• New plan expected to be released by March 2020, integrating both mitigation and adaptation actions into one plan

• Current partners include FCM and ICLEI (Adaptation Changemakers project); Ontario Climate Consortium; and Partners in Project Green.

2. Project Overview and Workplan: Review of project milestones and approach

Modelling Overview (SSG) • Using CityInSight model to determine energy use and emissions, with

2016 as a baseline year to align with the most recent Statistics Canadian census.

• Model various emissions reduction scenarios relative to Business-as-Usual (BAU), out to 2050.

• Model stocks and flows – identify assets at the end of their natural life cycle (i.e. cars, furnaces, A/C units, etc), to present the lower carbon option at the time of replacement.

• Use multi-criteria analysis to identify and prioritize different factors • Questions:

o How does the model capture weather changes? Need to factor in projections of heating and cooling degree days (CVC can supply their projections).

o Does the BAU scenario consider changes in land use planning over the next several decades? Model can incorporate development and population projections to 2050 (inquire if Peel Region has these).

o How can the model incorporate issues around consumption, food and waste? These are difficult to capture, model can incorporate food miles, carbon storage in concrete, but can’t capture every individual consumer good.

o Can model account for cultural willingness to take up mitigation actions (i.e. change behaviour)? Model can help target where opportunities exist to encourage people to adopt lower carbon behaviour (e.g. identify 1-2km trips that could be converted to walking trips).

o How does the model reflect co-benefits? Model can present a financial analysis of all different metrics in the climate model; explore different financing mechanisms municipality can use for different scenarios.

o How do you look at additive effects (i.e. environmental impacts other than GHGs, such as replacing fossil fuels with bio fuels, which could lead to habitat loss)? Largely a policy, not a modelling decision, how to prioritize different environmental impacts – need to consider bigger environmental picture, as well as local economic, employment, health and social factors.

Defining mitigation actions • SSG: important to have input from Task Force members on what major

actions we can consider to mitigate emissions.

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• Much interest in protecting natural heritage features and agricultural lands. SSG can help provide quantitative rationale for why these are important (e.g. for flood resiliency).

• Important for Caledon to look at local food systems and agriculture, in terms of carbon storage, local food consumption reducing food miles, lower carbon food choices, etc.

Communications • Very important to get the right narrative and messages out to create

public buy-in. • Land use example of Atlanta vs. Barcelona very impactful – often framed

that climate action will reduce affordability and quality of life, however instead present opportunity for improved well-being.

• Need to frame climate actions around economic development opportunities, new jobs, investment.

• Present co-benefits in a very tangible way, including lower energy costs, improved health, quality of life, etc.

• Present narrative of keeping energy dollars local, focus on energy independence.

3. Discussion: defining ingredients for a climate change adaptation vision

• Create a vision statement to describe the desired future state of Caledon, to inspire action among community members.

See Appendix for summary of Adaptation Vision postcards

4. Discussion: Approaches for developing a greenhouse gas reduction target

History of GHG emissions targets (SSG) • First generation – dates and percentages (much like Caledon’s current

target) • Second generation – absolute targets, no baseline year (e.g. goal of being

100% renewable, or net zero emissions) • Third generation – focus on 1.5C IPCC scenario; based on the allowable

emissions left globally (carbon budget), determine the share of a given municipality.

• Targets need to be realistic and achievable. • Target is important, but maybe more as an aspiration – focus more on the

actions, which can in turn build momentum and create buy in. General Comments • Caledon will be growing over the next several years – opportunity to build

in mitigation and adaptation actions as growth is happening, rather than after emissions are already locked in.

• Comes down to storytelling – listen to people and their values, meet them where they’re at, rather than selling them on a certain vision.

• Ensure working groups are not siloed, many issues overlap between adaptation and mitigation – make sure there are opportunities to find the synergies between different sectors/actions.